


Tuckered Out and Tame

by drjamband



Series: Jonesboro [5]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Sick Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-03
Updated: 2013-12-03
Packaged: 2018-01-03 08:35:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1068347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drjamband/pseuds/drjamband
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim is sick, and Leonard stays home from school to take care of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tuckered Out and Tame

Jim was freezing.  He pulled the comforter tighter against himself, and curled up even more to Leonard.  But he knew it wouldn’t help.  His bones were cold, his muscles cramping as he finally heaved himself out of bed and went downstairs.  

Taking a blanket from the laundry room, Jim settled himself on the couch, flipping channels until he found a _Golden Girls_ marathon.  Grabbing the thermometer, he ran it over his forehead: 101.5.  “Shit,” he grumbled, pulling the blanket up to his chin.

He’d watched about five minutes of TV when he heard someone else come down the stairs.  “Hi, honey,” Leonard said, standing in front of him.  “Not feeling well?”

“Fever,” Jim replied.

Leonard brushed Jim’s hair back from his forehead.  “You want some Tylenol?”  Jim nodded, and Leonard came back with two pills and a glass of water.  “You wanna come up to bed or stay down here?”

“Bed,” Jim said.  “Not enough room for both of us on the couch.”  Leonard smiled, but it turned into a frown as Jim stood stiffly, wincing at the pain in his legs.

“Come on,” Leonard said, lifting Jim and taking him up the stairs.  Once on the bed, Leonard propped himself on the headboard as Jim laid with his head on Leonard’s chest, falling back to sleep.

\----

Leonard had shut off the alarm for that morning, and when the boys didn’t wake up, Mrs. McCoy knocked softly.  “Boys?”

“Come in,” Leonard called.  Jim stirred, but remained asleep.

“What are you two doing in bed?  You’ll be late for school.”

“Jim’s sick, Mom.”  Mrs. McCoy walked over and put a hand to Jim’s burning forehead, then one to Leonard’s.

“Poor boy.  You’re not sick, though, Lenny, so get on up and get dressed.”

“Mom, I have to take care of Jim,” Leonard pled.

“I know you want to look after him, but you have to go to school.  You don’t want to fall behind.”

“Just one day,” Leonard countered.  Jim scrunched his eyes shut tighter and rubbed his cheek against Leonard’s shirt, making a little whimpering noise.  “Shh,” Leonard soothed, turning his head to look at Jim.

“Bones?” Jim mumbled.

“I’m right here, Jim,” he said softly.

Mrs. McCoy sighed fondly at the way her son looked at Jim---so full of tenderness and love for the other boy.  “OK,” she acquiesced.  “Just for today, Lenny.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Leonard said.

“I’m off to work, and your dad’s already at the hospital.  You gonna be alright here?”

Leonard rolled his eyes.  “Yes, Mom, we’ll be fine.”

Mrs. McCoy smiled.  “I know you’ll take good care of him,” she said before she kissed them both.

“Bye, Mom!” Leonard said loudly, urging her out of the room.

She laughed.  “Bye, boys.”

\----

Jim woke up soon after, sweating and kicking at the blankets.  “Bones.”

“Right here, honey.”

“My stomach hurts.”

Leonard turned on the TV in his room and rubbed Jim’s stomach.  “Just relax, Jim,” he said softly as a movie started playing.  He kissed Jim’s cheek and smiled as Jim fell back asleep, curled on his side.

\----

Jim woke again to find Leonard gone and rolled over.  Soon after, he heard someone moving around in the kitchen, then footsteps on the stairs, then the door opened and Leonard was standing there, a bowl in one hand and a bag in the other.

“Hey, honey.  How do you feel?”

Jim shrugged.  “Still a little achy.  Is that soup?”

Leonard nodded.  “Chicken noodle.  And I got you Gatorade.”

“Blue?!” Jim asked excitedly.

“ _And_ orange.  Drink the orange first.  It’s the best for when you’re sick.”

Jim grumbled, but smiled when he saw it was a small bottle, compared to the big blue one Leonard placed on the bedside table.

“Slowly,” Leonard chided as Jim tried to gulp the drink down.

“Yes, dear,” Jim replied, moving to spoon some soup into his mouth.  “You gonna stand there all day or you gonna come over and cuddle?”

Leonard smiled and shook his head, sliding in next to Jim.  “Better?”

“Yeah.”  They watched TV for a little bit, Jim finishing the orange Gatorade and sucking happily on the blue.  “Why didn’t you go to school?”

“You’re sick.”

“Yeah, I’m sick.  Not you.”

“I didn’t realize my presence was so unwelcome,” Leonard teased.

“No, I’m just saying...I wouldn’t think you’d wanna miss class.”

Leonard turned a little to face Jim.  “I wanna take care of you, Jim.”

“You don’t have to,” Jim said softly.

“I know.  I want to.  You’re not alone anymore, Jim.  You never will be.”

Jim nodded and ducked his head.  “Love you,” he mumbled into Leonard’s side.

“I love you too, honey,” Leonard replied fondly.

\----

They spent the rest of the day relaxing.  Jim eventually showered and dressed in track pants and a t-shirt, and they finally made their way downstairs and hung out in the living room watching TV and playing cards.  Jim napped off and on, and Leonard fed him more soup and some orange juice.

He took Jim’s temperature again, and the thermometer read 98.4.  “Fever’s gone.”

Jim smiled.  “Thanks for taking care of me.”

Leonard pulled him close and kissed him.  “Of course, honey.”

They started cleaning up the room shortly before Mrs. McCoy arrived home from work.  “Oh, hello, boys.  Jim, honey, how are you feeling?” she asked, placing her hand on his forehead.

“Much better, Mrs. McCoy.  My fever’s gone, and it’s all thanks to Bones.”  Jim slung an arm around his boyfriend.  “He’ll make a great doctor someday.”

Mrs. McCoy smiled and kissed them both.  “Well I’m very proud of you, Lenny.  Now I’m going to get started on dinner.”

“Nuh-uh,” Jim declared.  “I’ve been sitting around all day.   _I’m_ making dinner.”

“Oh, Jim, that’s so nice of you.”  Jim shrugged and blushed.  “Lenny, go help Jim in the kitchen.”

“No,” Jim said.  “Bones took care of me all day.  I’m gonna take care of him now.”

Mrs. McCoy smiled as she sat down on the couch.  “Why thank you, Jim.”  Jim nodded decisively and headed into the kitchen.  “He’s a good boy, Lenny.  You keep him around, you understand?”

Leonard smiled.  “I’m planning on it.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
